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Property Close to A62 or A68


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Hi we are intending to retire to the South West after selling our home in UK that we hope will be soon!?

We are looking for a 2/3 bed stone property with a pool or cheap enough for us to install one for up to €250000. We have a Hymer motorhome so poky lane with overhanging trees are out, as are isolated places.

I'm looking for area or town recommendations from residents-we know & like Albi & Le Pays du Dropt for example. Any advice or information would be much appreciated, thanks.

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Hi and welcome

Not knowing your circumstances  (retired, inactif, working etc) I can only assume you have done your homework re health care, S1 forms etc - loads of info on this forum for the searching.

I'm sure you know that there is no substitute for going and looking (and since you have a motorhome that could be a great advantage) but for starters and from the comfort of your home, you could look here http://www.leboncoin.fr/ventes_immobilieres/offres/aquitaine/?f=a&th=1&ret=1    for an idea of prices and the kind of thing on offer.  I admit that I peruse those pages from time to time and think 'One day ...'

 

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Hi,

Thanks Sue & Pierre for the links. I'm 66, & we have reasonable pensions so do not need to work.

We've been coming to France for holidays for over 40 years, the last 5 or so, since motor-homing we've spent 6 weeks every June & 3 or 4 weeks in September/October as well.

We have visited a lot of areas in France & have some properties lined up for when we sell-maybe this weekend?!

Just as a thought, & I've not visited for ages, the Forum does seem a lot quieter than it was?

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[quote user="rogerthedodger"]

We've been coming to France for holidays for over 40 years, the last 5 or so, since motor-homing we've spent 6 weeks every June & 3 or 4 weeks in September/October as well. [/quote]

The snag is that holidaying here and living here really are as different as chalk and cheese. Though if you have a UK state pension already in place then that side-steps quite a few problems that early retirées can face.

Coming over and viewing properties/areas/towns/villages in winter ie Jan and Feb can really help you to discover if you are ready for the French winter, which can be very different to winter in the UK for a myriad of reasons. Charming, delightful even here but it depends on you and your life style and where you end up living.

Sue

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Thanks Wendy & Sue. I guess we'll need to adapt to weather extremes. Some years ago we stayed on a site near St.Emilion where you had to wear Speedos in the pool. I was last Speedo-shape 50 years ago but when it got to 38-40 I took the plunge! So hot...My home area is Derbyshire so used to snow.

Made me smile when you mentioned everywhere being shut. Years ago I was a welfare officer & had to go to Chapel St.Leonards & discovered in winter all the restaurants, cafes & chippies were shut-very much a holiday place.

Our intention is be within reasonable travelling distance of a town in order to join the randonneurs, French classes & other societies that catch our fancy. We hope to become part of the local community.

We were in Albi a couple of weeks ago with the TV production company for a new 'Escape to...' series & loved it. If I told you more I would have to kill you!!!! Saw 4 properties that made good TV, but were unsuitable. The first was down a narrow road with overhanging trees-I was thinking 'Crikey we'd never get Hettie (the Hymer) down here so that was no good. We tend to be home birds & decent internet access & TV signal are musts.

We know this is a quantum leap for us with pro's & con's. The pro's include the freedom to walk & swim as much as we like-I will lose weight & this will lower my BP & maintain the good control of my insulin-dependant diabetes.

As a psychotherapist my glass tends to be half-full (do have me moments tho'!) but we've also thought about the glass breaking-illness, loss of mobility & death!

All the best,

Roger
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Unfortunately, we didn't get an offer for our house in South Lincolnshire so cannot move yet. Was really worried that after the offer we'd not have very long for completion & have to quickly find a house-imagining zipping off in Hettie the Hymer to find a house quickly!!!

Common sense (& wife & daughter) have now prevailed & our game plan after sale is take on a long-term let so we have time to browse. Check out different areas during inclement weather & what's available locally.

As an open question if you could move again where would be your choice & why?

As we walked our dog across the fields next door there was a cold wind but some sunshine-we loved it after the grey days & rain-my wife commented 'We could be in France!'.

We hope to become far more sociable than we have been in England & hope that walking, motor-homing, having a dog & language-learning will lead to this (although I am allergic to line-dancing & achey-breaky heart!).
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I think finding a house is difficult. When we started looking we drew up a list of what we wanted and comparing that with what we bought shows very little in common. In the end a view of the Pyrenees became very important. 

Yes, winters can be very different to summer. In our first year of retirement we spent January and February of this year at our French house. Previously, we ad spent 8 days there at most during these months and can remember having lunch outside as it was warm. This yea, mostly cold and wet.

I would have thought as you have the Hymer spending time touring around at varying times of the year would help you to decide where to live as what one person likes another does not.

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I agree, Finding a house is difficult especially in a foreign country. So far it has taken us 3 years of looking to find  the right one and that will take a lot of work to get it the way we want it. Currently waiting for quotes for the work that we want before putting in an offer.
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Roger, not sure your expectation to find lots of societes you can join is realistic in the real France, as the French tend to socialise within the extended family and although often very polite and on the surface welcoming, are culturally xenophobic.

You are right about the forum being quieter as are the other French forums I participate in, no doubt reflective of the poor economic situation in France, weak euro/£ rate which has led to a lot of Brits going home and that France as a retirement destination for Brits seems to be losing favour. Maybe recent bad winters in France have not helped and the lure of bargain basement property in Spain has become more tempting.
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Hi Rabbie, sounds like an exciting time for you to have 'finally' found the right house. Part of the reason for using our low-cost endowment (performance-null-pointe!) to buy a Hymer was that we could buy a cheaper property that needed sortin'. We can live comfortably in the Hymer whilst the refreshing takes place.

Seems to be the case that properties that need some work potentially offer much better value for money. I am wary about the 'money-pit' possibility & moving from our comfy house to one that takes ages to sort out.

What area have you chosen, if you don't mind me asking?

Roger
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You may well be right. Do you think the 'societies' & friendliness varies with the area?. Certainly the motor-homing/camping fraternity seem very friendly-we do wave at one another on route-that can be exhausting!!!

We've never really fancied Spain, perhaps because my French is passable & Spanish rubbish.

I've been a Forum member for quite a time although not a regular visitor due to moving to France being on the 'back-burner' until I completed my Doctorate in 2010. Have found & do find it to be a good source of information & experience.

I have a niece who has lived in Spain for years & a nephew who spends 6 winter months on a campsite near Marbella in his huge motorhome. We hope to see more of them when we move.

Do you have any area recommendations at all?
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I think as a retiree a lot comes down to how important a mild winter climate is to you, not forgetting that heating bills are probably one of the most significant living costs. Statistically, there are far more Brits in Spain than France and a large part of that probably comes down to the fact that southern Spain averages a good ten degrees warmer than the mildest part of France during winter, with the potential significant saving in energy costs. The Canaries and Majorca are even warmer.

I am convinced a lot of Brits who move to France have totally unrealistic expectations as to the winter climate and are shocked how wet and cold France is that time of year.

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